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T O P I C R E V I E W

GACspaceguy

Picked up this item on eBay. It is a pilot chute for a space shuttle solid rocket booster (SRB). The chute itself is not that big just about 10 feet in diameter. The lanyards are bout 30 feet long and weigh a ton. Not sure how to display this thing though.

I sent an e-mail to Pioneer, the manufacturer, to get some history but have not received any reply. I am not sure if this was a prototype as the markings say that it is 10 feet in diameter and what I have found on the web says it should be 11.5 feet in diameter.

I thought I would share it with the cS community and get any thoughts on it's history and if it was flown and on what flights.

Ken Havekotte

This may be one of several SRB pilot packaged chutes that I got from Ransom Road back in the early 90s. I believe all of mine were manufactured in 1985-87.

Until I saw this cS posting of yours, I had completely forgotten about mine that are currently in storage away from my home-office.

It was my impression when I got the chute assemblies that they were not used on any SRB flown missions.

But it certainly can't hurt to see what Pioneer Parachute Company says about them if they do indeed respond back to you.

Please do report back here if anything develops.

GACspaceguy

Ken that may makes sense as the person I picked this up from obtained it from a surplus shop in Orlando. They were living on a sail boat in Titusville back in the 90’s and had intended to use the parachute for something on their boat. They never did and carried it from place to place for 20 years until selling it to me on eBay.

Joel Katzowitz

I had access to a similar parachute as yours Fred. Same part number and manufacture date but with s/n 48110.

Constellation One

Glad it went to a good home. I was bidding against you!

Maybe if another one comes for sale, I'll be able to get it.

Ken Havekotte

For Constellation One; email me as I do have some SRB pilot parachutes in stock.They're quite heavy, though, to ship.

Frisbeeman

That 10 ft. 18% porosity pilot chute in the picture was for Filament Wound Case SRBs to be launched from Vandenberg in California. No Vandenberg shuttle launches ever occurred, so that parachute never flew on a mission. It may have been a drop test chute or a prototype. If it is dirty with brown dust it was drop tested in the desert.

The KSC shuttle missions used an 11.5 ft. diameter 16% porosity pilot. If you have documentation saying your parachute is 11.5 ft. they were mistaken about what specific kind of parachute it was.

Keep in mind the diameter is nominal (complicated definition), not actual constructed. The constructed diameter is slightly smaller.

I worked for Pioneer Parachute in the 1980's, for USBI in the 1990's and for United Space Alliance since 1999 and worked purely Shuttle SRB and aerospace parachutes since 1988.

GACspaceguy

Welcome to cS and thanks for the info! I thought it was unusual that the listed diameter was 10 ft., this answers a lot of questions. It is still a cool item but now with a different twist. Thanks so much again!

Hart Sastrowardoyo

Now you got something to get signed by the 62A crew...

Brian Weaver

I have a pilot SRB chute that has been in my collection for 15+ years.

We finally found a place for our Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) Pilot Chute. If I understand it correctly it is the chute that pulls out the drogue chute that pulls out the main chute (the shuttle system was an amazing flying machine regardless of what you may think of the program's worth to society).

The chute itself was not bad for finding a place, but there is about 40 feet or more of suspension lines and that had been the problem. At one point we thought we would put the chute on the wall and cut a hole in the ceiling and hide the lines in the attic. However, we felt that we would not be doing the item justice. We finally figured out that the best place would be the stairwell leading up the the bonus room.

We snaked the lines up the wall and the plan is to find photos of either the pilot chute deploying or at least the SRBs tumbling back or under the chutes (any help here would be great) and place those framed images between the spaces for the lines. It is somewhat difficult to capture the effect of the chute going up the stairwell wall but here it is.

Ken Havekotte

Yes, I like your display for the chute... now if my wife would let me display one of my SRB-pilot chutes in one of our hallways as you have so nicely done, I'll be in space heaven, huh? Perhaps one of mine could be installed on the ceiling of my space studio(?) Thanks for the idea(s) Fred!

SkyMan1958

You're a lucky man Fred to have such an understanding wife!

SpaceAholic

Much nicer then leaving packed. Now imagine attempting to do that with an 83.5 foot diameter Apollo CM parachute canopy. :-\

Robert Pearlman

You're gonna need a bigger boat banister...

ilbasso

Way to go, Fred! I'm gonna have to bring my wife by your place on our way to or from the AAMS in November!

GACspaceguy

Please do, we are an open house!

GACspaceguy

I wanted to make sure that the chute data was visible but it would tend to curl away on the ends. What I ended up doing is sandwiching it between two acrylic sheets and clipping it together with note clips to keep them together.

So for anyone that may do a similar display take a look at the photos. I purposely allowed the flash to reflect in the second one so that you can see the sheets better.